Les Camarades 1916

Théophile Alexandre Steinlen made this image of comrades, with what looks like ink or wash. It's all sepia tones, like an old photo, or maybe a memory. I'm drawn to the way he handles the figures. The washes create depth and shadow, and the lines bring the figures into focus. Look at the way the soldier on the right is helping his comrade, there is such kindness in the mark-making here. The drawing feels immediate, the quick strokes capture the urgency of the scene, and the emotional weight of the subject matter. It reminds me of some of Kathe Kollwitz's prints; there’s a similar sense of social realism. These images feel like they are having a conversation about the human condition, about war, and what it does to us, and how we look after each other when everything is falling apart.